Geographical position: Croatia extends from the farthest eastern edges of the Alps in the northwest to the Pannonian lowlands and the banks of the Danube in the east, its central region is covered by the Dinara mountain range, and its southern parts reaches the coast of the Adriatic Sea.

Surface: The mainland covers 56,542 sq. km, and the surface of the territorial sea is 31,067 sq. km.

Population: 4,400,000 inhabitants; composition of population: the majority of the population are Croats; national minorities are Serbs, Slovenes, Hungarians, Bosnians, Italians, Czechs and others.

System of government: Croatia is a multiparty parliamentary republic.

Capital: Zagreb (770,000 inhabitants), the economic, traffic, cultural and academic center of the country.

Coastline: 5,835 km, 4,058 km being the coastline of islands, cliffs and reefs.

Number of islands, cliffs and reefs: 1,185; the largest islands are Krk and Cres; there are 67 inhabited islands.

Highest peak: Dinara 1,831 m above the sea level

Climate: There are two climate zones: the temperate continental climate, locally also the mountainous climate, prevails in the inland, whereas the pleasant Mediterranean climate prevails along the Adriatic coast, with many sunny days, dry and hot summers, mild and moist winters. The average temperature in the inland: January -1 to 3°C, August 22 to 26°C; the average temperature at the seaside: January 5 to 10°C, August 26 to 30°C. The sea temperature amounts to 12°C in winter, and around 25°C in summer.

Money: kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipa). Foreign currency is exchanged in banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies, hotels, camps, marinas. Checks are cashed in banks.